1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fluorescence photometric apparatus which optically measures fluorescence of a fluorescence-marked cell in a small region, and more particularly to a fluorescence photometric apparatus which identifies a constituent molecule of a fluorescence-marked cell.
2. Description of the Related Art
The fluorescent correlation spectroscopy is widely utilized to perform analysis such as identification of a fluorescence-marked molecule in a solution. In recent years, a target to which this analysis technology is applied is widened to a constituent molecule of a partially or entirely fluorescence-labeled cell from a fluorescent molecule in a solution. In particular, recent development of various fluorescent proteins has further accelerated a tendency of widening analysis target molecules. Furthermore, since a fluorescent protein can be developed in a specific organ in a cell by a gene manipulation, a fluorescence photometric technology including the fluorescent correlation spectroscopy is widely utilized among researchers as a strong implement for clarification of a cell function which is a source of a life phenomenon.
Moreover, when a cell or a biomedical tissue is an analysis target, an optical microscope or a laser scanning microscope is combined with a fluorescent correlation spectroscopic apparatus to be used.
PCT National Publication No. 2001-505997 discloses a fluorescent correlation spectroscopic unit which can be disposed to an optical connecting portion of a regular optical microscope. A fluorescent correlation spectroscopic module according to this technology is provided with a connecting portion and a pinhole device which allow excitation light to enter, and the connecting portion and the pinhole device are arranged on a common support. Additionally, according to this structure, coupling with an existing microscope is readily enabled, thereby obtaining a measurement result with excellent reproducibility.
PCT National Publication No. 2003-524180 discloses a photodetector which is constituted of a device constituent element for fluorescent correlation spectroscopy in at least one small amount unit and in which a measurement position for fluorescent correlation spectroscopic analysis is measured and selected in at least two-dimensional unit by utilizing an image formation type method, an image formation type microscope unit and a device constituent element are operated in a common control unit and an analysis result of at least the device constituent element is displayed as an image by means of the control unit and a computer.
According to the technology described in PCT National Publication No. 2003-524180, when a cell or the like as a measurement target is imaged by using a scanning laser microscope and a measurement target region is specified in the image, fluorescent correlation spectroscopic data in this region can be automatically obtained.